SALT LAKE CITY — Netflix has acquired the rights to retell Roald Dahl’s classic stories in a new set of animated series, Deadline reported.
What’s going on: Netflix made a deal with the Roald Dahl Story Company to acquire rights to a number of titles in the author’s library, including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda,” “The BFG,” “The Twits” and more.
- Netflix said in its announcement that it "intends to remain faithful to the quintessential spirit and tone of Dahl."
- Netflix said it plans to build out an entire universe that expands beyond the stories.
- “Our mission, which is purposefully lofty, is for as many children as possible around the world to experience the unique magic and positive message of Roald Dahl’s stories,” said Roald Dahl’s widow, Felicity Dahl. “This partnership with Netflix marks a significant move toward making that possible and is an incredibly exciting new chapter for the Roald Dahl Story Company. Roald would, I know, be thrilled.”
When?: Production will begin in 2019.
Family-friendly: Melissa Cobb, vice president of kids and family content at Netflix, said this will bring more family-friendly content to Netflix.
- “Immersing ourselves in the extraordinary worlds of Roald Dahl stories has been an honor and a massive amount of fun, and we are grateful for the trust the Roald Dahl Story Company and the Dahl family have placed in our team to deliver more moments of shared joy to families around the world,” she said. “We have great creative ambition to reimagine the journeys of so many treasured Dahl characters in fresh, contemporary ways with the highest quality animation and production values.”
However: Three titles won’t be included in the mix: “The Witches,” “James and the Giant Peach” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” which already have had movie treatments in the past, Mental Floss reported.
According to The Verge, those three projects may still be contracted out to other companies, creating rights issues for Netflix.